Campaign finance reform uncertain

State changes hinge on special session, which remains only an idea

By Jimmy Vielkind

Published 10:09 pm, Wednesday, October 3, 2012

ALBANY — The best opportunity to tighten the state's campaign finance laws could come in a special legislative session, but right now both the session and the prospects for any reform are up in the air.

Leaders of national labor and progressive groups will huddle Thursday in New York City to talk about the nascent legislative campaign in the Empire State. Democrats who dominate the Assembly have long advocated using taxpayer dollars to multiply more tightly limited contributions from corporations and individuals, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this summer offered to invest his own political capital in a public push.

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The governor and other advocates suggested reform measures would be considered in a special session of the state Legislature that, while not scheduled, has been expected after Election Day to consider a pay raise for state lawmakers. Their base salary has been $79,500 since 1999, and lawmakers are paid $165 for every day spent in Albany.

But recent developments have muddied the initial thinking. Already unpopular in public opinion polls, a pay raise may now be a tougher sell due to a sexual harassment scandal in the Assembly. Speaker Sheldon Silver authorized a confidential settlement of $135,000 — including $103,000 of taxpayer funds — for two female employees who claimed they were sexually harassed by Assemblyman Vito Lopez, D-Brooklyn. (The scandal is currently being investigated by the state's Joint Commission on Public Ethics.) Separately, Silver censured Lopez after the chamber's Ethics Committee substantiated claims he groped two other staffers.

And Senate Republicans, who oppose using taxpayer money for political campaigns, now seem less enticed by the prospect of fatter paychecks as a political trade for public financing, people familiar with the push said. And if Republicans lose their 33-29 majority in the chamber, Cuomo would be positioned to negotiate a meatier bill with his fellow Democrats.

"Whether or not there is a special session at all is also up in the air," Cuomo said late last month. "You need to know who is in charge first before you can have the conversation."

The governor met privately last week with several people hoping to push the issue. The meeting included good-government groups like Citizens Union, labor and progressive groups like Citizen Action, as well as wealthy political donors such as Sean Eldridge, a venture capitalist who is married to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes — all of whom want to see the system restructured.

"The governor made clear his continued, strong commitment to the issue. The meeting was about trying to figure out how to elevate the issue to where we can dislodge it from the Capitol bubble," said Citizens Union Executive Director Dick Dadey. "I think you'll see some groups coming out with some interesting ads ... to be in a position to push this issue legislatively, should there be a special session or in 2013. Ideally, we'd want to have this issue addressed in a special session."

There are two reasons why: Reform could be linked to a pay hike, and therefore give the governor leverage, but it could also tie in to the just-finished election cycle, filled with super PAC ads and celebrity fundraisers.

Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, said he still believes there would be a special session dealing with "things that are left unfinished or issues that rise to the top," including campaign finance reform. Canestrari is retiring from office at the end of the year.

Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Republicans, reiterated opposition to public campaign financing, but was unspecific about what the GOP might want.

"At this time ... we remain focused on the same priorities middle-class families are focused on — controlling spending, cutting taxes and creating new jobs," he said.